ILZ's Ending to the 74th Hunger Games
by PJ Bottomz
Summary: I like Katniss, but I'd rather have something else happen at the end. Starts at feast.
1. The Feast

**First of all, this was inspired by a story I read named, "Alternate Final Days of the 74****th**** Hunger Games." However, mine is scheduled to have a different ending than the one that the person who wrote that has planned. Much different. And if you know my favorite Hunger Games character, you may figure it out.**

* * *

(Clove)

I lie in wait in the cold. Cato is next to me, his arm around my shoulders, keeping me warm. I know Fire Girl will be here, getting the medicine for Lover Boy. This is the perfect opportunity to take her out. And I know I will. I almost had her at Day 1 but that brat got away.

The sun begins to rise an hour or so later. I can hear the mechanical hum and I see the ground move apart to reveal the table. I see the bags: 2, which is for Cato and me. 5, which is for that red-haired girl. 11, which is for Thresh. Then, the tiny bag with 12 marked on it, for Fire Girl.

Once the table stops moving, I see red-head dart out of the Cornucopia and grab her bag. Soon, she's speeding off towards the woods. Heh. I knew she'd pull something.

Then I see her. Fire Girl is running towards the table. "Cato, cover me." I whisper, and without waiting for his reply, I jump from the bush and run towards her. I take a knife from the lining of my jacket and throw it at her. She deflects it with her bow and fires at me.

I try to dodge but it hits my left arm. I yank it out and throw it aside. She just reached the table and it putting the bag on her wrist. I grab another knife and throw it. She turns to shoot but the knife catches her above the eye and I have my chance. I pounce and slam her down, my knees keeping her shoulders down. Time to savor this.

"Where's your boyfriend, District 12? Still hanging on?"

"He's out there right now. Hunting Cato." Then she screams, "Peeta!"

I punch her in the throat and survey the area. No sign of Lover Boy. I turn back to her.

"Liar." I grin. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going. What's in that backpack? The medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."

I open my jacket and take my knife with the special curve. "I promised Cato that if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show."

She tries to push me off, to escape, but she can't. "Forget it, District 12. We're going to kill you, just like your pathetic little ally… what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and I think we'll let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound? Now, where to start?"

I wipe the blood off of her face with my sleeve. I decide what to cut up first. Maybe her forehead? Eyes? She tries to bite my hand, but I grab her hair and force her back down.

Then, it comes to me. Her mouth. "I think…" I purr a little as I say this. "I think we'll start with your mouth."

When I say this, she clamps her teeth together. I trace the outline of her mouth with the blade. "Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?"

In response, she spits blood on my face. I glare and wipe it off. "All right then. Let's get started." However, before I can begin, I see Thresh running towards me.

* * *

I curse under my breath. Fire Girl is distracted by Thresh as well, so I take my knife, twirl it, and stab it into the side of her head. Then I jump back as he tries to attack me.

"What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?" He screams. He tries to hit me with a rock, but he misses each time. "You stab her like you stabbed this girl here?"

I see District 12 crawling away quickly, but even if she makes it to Lover Boy, she'll die. I turn my attention back to Thresh. "Yes, I did. Oh, she was loud. I had to cover her mouth to avoid attracting attention. When she bit my hand, I stabbed her down the throat." I tease.

"Die!" He slams the rock at me but misses again. I'm about to reach into my jacket to get a knife when the spear pierces his throat. He falls back and the rock flies out of his hand. I sidestep to avoid it. Then, the cannon fires.

"Cato!" I beam. I throw myself into his arms. "You saved me!"

"Of course I did." He gives me a kiss in response to this. "He was trying to kill you."

"Nice job." I laugh. "So, what about Fire Girl? Think she'll make it to Lover Boy?"

"Doubt it." He says, and then he releases me. "I saw you stab her in the side of the head. Even if she does, she'll die, and I'll take care of Lover Boy."

"Sure. So, what should we take from him?" I look to him. He doesn't have anything on him, actually. Just the bag with 11 on it.

"His bag. I think he has something good in it." Cato goes over and rips the back off of Thresh's shoulders. He unzips it. "It's a bunch of water bottles. Guess that plain doesn't have much water."

"Oh well. Let's go." I grab our bag from the table and we return to our camp.

* * *

(Katniss)

I scramble frantically through the woods. My head is throbbing erratically and blood is flowing down my face. I'm seeing stars as I try to navigate through the trees. I managed to take the knife from my skull, but I don't know how long I'll live.

I have to get to Peeta. That's the only thing I can think. If I can save Peeta, we'll have a chance. District 12 might win.

I see the river and throw myself into it, washing the blood from my skull. I take Rue's socks and wrap them around my head. It helps.

I'm woozy by the time I make it to the cave. I slip through and dump the bag's contents onto the floor. A slim box is in it. I open it and find the needle. If I can just get to Peeta…

I stumble over to him. He's still sleeping. I try to put the needle in his arm but I'm starting to see double. The blood is rushing through Rue's socks and dripping on his arm. In a last ditch effort, I grab his arm, pull it up to my face, and jam the needle in. As soon as the presser goes down, I fall back, unable to keep myself up. I struggle to stay alive, but then, everything goes black.

Somewhere in my endless sleep, I hear the cannon fire.


	2. Peeta vs District 2

(Peeta)

The sound of human hitting stone and the sound of cannon fire wakes me. I open my eyes and find the worst possible sight I could see: Katniss, sprawling on the ground, blood flowing freely from her head. There's a few drops on my arm, and it leads me to believe that she saved me. She got the medicine and saved me from blood poisoning.

But at what cost? I kneel down to her, listening for the sound of breath escaping her lips. But I can't hear it. I don't see her chest rising. I can't feel a pulse in her wrist. She was killed.

I can probably suspect that Clove is the cause. I remember that one day that Glimmer told me about her.

"_She callously murdered some one from her District during training. I don't know if she's entirely safe. I'd be careful Peeta. Make sure you protect Katniss."_

If only Glimmer was alive now. If only she had escaped when Katniss released the tracker jackers on us.

I take Katniss' pack and put everything inside of it. I give her lifeless lips one last kiss, and I don't remove myself for at least 5 minutes. Tears begin to fill my eyes at the thought that I will never get to tell her my true feelings. But, she probably already knew.

I look outside. It's only morning. I should head out. The most important thing is killing Cato and Clove. Then, I'll get Foxface, go home, and live with the fact that I let Katniss down.

I step out of the cave. My leg feels better already. I think I can manage on my own. My only concern is how I'm going to kill Cato and Clove. No doubt they're allied.

I could try climbing a tree, but I'm not like Katniss. I can't face them head to head because even if I could kill one – which would be a miracle itself – I'd surely be dead meat for the other. I'm not good with long distance. The only weapons I have are Katniss' bow and a knife.

I sigh. Why don't I just let them kill me? I can join Katniss in heaven and then we can live together in peace. Maybe death would be a good form of escape…

I turn when I hear branches snapping. It's far off, but I can hear it echoing. That's where they must be.

I set off towards the noise.

* * *

There they are. I can see them. Cato has started a campfire and Clove is roasting two geese on it. They're talking quietly, and I can't hear them. Occasionally, they kiss.

Ech. I guess they lived off of that romance, which is a dirty tactic. Good thing Katniss would never do that.

I have Katniss' bow armed and ready to fire. I pull it up to my shoulder. I've seen Katniss using a bow in the Training Center, and tried it myself a few times. I should have good aim.

I pull the string back. Cato and Clove are too busy kissing and whispering to each other. Now would be a bad time to shoot them. When they get more into that romance, I'll shoot Cato. Maybe I can take Clove, and then it should be easy.

They've locked each other in an embrace. This is starting to get weird. Would they go that far, even on live TV? Maybe they're just piling it up for the sponsors? Either way, now's a good time to get them.

I let the string go and the arrow flies. Unfortunately, I had lowered the bow a little. The arrow flies into the fire, sending sparks into the air. It startles them both and they separate.

Then, Clove spots me. "Cato!" she shouts. She points to me and Cato turns in my direction. The very second Cato's eyes land on me, hatred glows in them. He's fast, really fast. He grabs my collar and tosses me into to the ground.

Clove jumps back as I land beside her. Cato is instantly upon me. He's trying to pound my face in, but I can manage to block his blows or catch them. I even land a few of my own.

Haymitch was right. Strength can turn the tide in the fight. I manage to force Cato off of me and shove him away, and then I retaliate with a punching barrage of my own. I think I finally have him down, and then the knife pierces my leg.

I scream in pain and fling myself off. Clove had decided to lend Cato a hand, or a knife. With my distraction, Cato grabs me by the neck. I know what he's trying to do. He's going to snap my neck. I remember Katniss telling me about the boy from District 3 and I punch him in the stomach, trying to get him off.

I can't resist much longer. If I can't force him off, I'm dead. Clove is one thing – she can't snap a neck – but Cato's a whole other level. Then, I remember the knife.

Using my other hand, I pull the knife from my leg. If I can survive this, I'll kill Clove. I know it's brutal, but still.

I jam the knife into Cato's stomach. He shrieks in pain and releases me. But before I can turn to Clove, she pounces on me and digs her nails into my skin. I fall back.

She's punching at me, trying to scratch me, everything. I try to stab her with the knife, but she must have had practice with close-range dodging, because I can't hit her.

I can see Cato trying to get up. I have to hurry. I aim for Clove's neck, but she catches the knife between her fingers. Blood leaks out onto my face.

She yanks the knife from my hand and twirls it so that the blade is facing me. She raises it and it comes down. At the last moment, I shove her off. The knife hits just below my shoulder, and it rips as she flies off.

I do roll backwards and then rise to my feet. Cato is up on one knee, and Clove is already trying to stand up. I should flee. But they'd trail me, and with this blood leaking out all over me, staining on the ground, it wouldn't be much of a challenge.

I take out Katniss' knife and prepare myself. "Bring it on!" I growl. Both of them have made it to their feet and are glaring. I lash out angrily when they charge.


	3. Run

(Cato)

I barely dodge the knife - it slashes a little bit on my arm - and ram my shoulder into Peeta's chest. He stumbles backwards. Clove rushes forward with her knife and manages to slice his arm. He kicks her away and she falls back, momentarily stunned.

I pull my sword from my belt loop and start slashing at him. He dodges each one and tries to attack me with his knives. I manage to grab one and I pull it out of his hands and toss it back towards Clove. She could probably use it. Peeta's backing away towards the woods, and I know he's trying to escape.

I lunge and manage to bowl him over. I slam my arm down hard on his throat. He coughs blood on my face, but I ignore it. "Time to die, Lover Boy!" I raise my fist for the final punch, but he knees me in my thigh and throws me off. I tumble away and roll into a ditch.

I get up and see the knife catch Peeta in the arm.

Clove springs out of nowhere and brings the knife down on him. It goes directly through his cheek. She missed.

Argh. She can't do anything right! I grab my spear that was laying by the fire. Clove is stabbing at him repeatedly but only hitting ground. I rush forward.

Just as Peeta shoves her down and gets up on his knees, my spear pierces dead center through his chest.

* * *

I yank the spear out quickly and Peeta falls back on the ground. He's still alive, I can tell because his chest is moving, but with a shot like that, he'll be dead for sure.

I help Clove up. She has a nasty cut on the side of her head and she falls into me. I wrap my arms around her to keep her from plummeting. "Clove, are you okay?"

"Just a little cut up…" she whispers. I carry her back to the camp and bandage her up.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Don't agitate your wound." I go back to Peeta and rip the bag off of his shoulders. I open it up. Inside is a thermal sleeping bag, a water skin, two containers filled with water, the bag that had Peeta's medicine in it, another pair of night vision glasses, blood-stained socks with holes in them, and some roots. But no food.

I head back over to Clove.

"Not too much good stuff. But, there is a thermal sleeping bag, a water skin, and two containers filled with water." I tell her.

"Let me see the bag." She takes out the stuff I mentioned and looks through it. "We need to dispose of those glasses. Can't have red-head getting hold of them. The socks are useless. We can put berries in the bag. And I think these roots are edible. Did you get the bow?"

Oh yeah. Why hasn't the cannon fired? Oh well, maybe I can toy with him until he dies…

I grab the bow and quiver that he dropped in his hiding spot and head back over to him. I can see that he's fighting to stay alive, but that won't last long.

"Hey Lover Boy, found your girlfriends bow. Wanna take it with you when you die? I can shoot you with it." I laugh.

"Go die Cato…" He breathes. "You don't deserve to live…"

I aim the arrow and shoot him in the eye. Better than I hoped for. I pull the arrow out, and then the cannon fires. I walk away, and soon Peeta is being lifted into the air. I sit back down next to Clove. "Do you want these? You're okay with them."

"Yeah." She takes them from me and sets them down beside her. Then she turns to me. "You know, I think this will be the last night of the Games. One way or another, we're going to escape it in the morning."

"Yeah." I pull her close. She rests her head on my shoulder. We sit and eat goose until night falls. Then, we put out the fire, slid into the sleeping bag, and soon fall asleep.

* * *

The first thing I note is how unbearably hot it is. I can feel sweat on my forehead. I pull Clove and myself out of the sleeping bag. It's a little cooler outside, but it's still hot out.

"Clove, wake up." I shake her. She blinks her eyes open a few times. "Wake up. Let's go down to the stream to wash up."

"Carry me." She holds her arms out to me. I resist the urge to sigh. I pick her up. With both of our bodies close together, the heat is blistering. But once we wade into the stream, we'll be fine.

* * *

That's the last thing that crosses my mind when I see the dry bed of stream. Clove hops down and goes over to touch it. "Not even a little wet… They Gamemakers are driving us back to the lake…"

"Well, let's go. I mean, it's just red-head. We can handle her, right?" I smirk. She smiles and shakes her head.

"Cato, leave the girl to me. You handled Peeta nicely, but I want to taunt her, to give the audience a great show since I couldn't with Fire Girl. Then, we get to go home."

"Okay, come on. Let's go." We begin walking towards the lake. However, we don't get far before we see the red mane run past us. My first impulse it to throw the spear, but I freeze when I hear growling. I turn and see wolves glaring and snarling. Clove darts away and I follow as the wolves bound after us.


	4. The Winner

(Foxface)

I can hear Cato and Clove blundering after me, but it's more in fear than in pursuit. I see the Cornucopia and I know to climb it. I reach it quickly and look back.

The mutts are closing in on us rapidly. Cato and Clove are halfway here. "Come on!" I shout to them. "Up here!"

I scale the golden horn, which burns in the blistering heat. I know that once they get up here, it'll be full scale war to kill me. I don't have any weapons whereas Cato has a spear and Clove has a bow and arrows. Isn't that Katniss'?

Oh well. I make it to the top, sit down, and watch the show. Clove has just reached the Cornucopia and is climbing. I scoot to the front, turn sideways, and watch both of them.

Cato is a little slower, and he has to slice one or two mutts to get to the horn. "Can they climb?" He shouts at me. I shrug.

Both of them make it to the top as soon as the mutts reach the Cornucopia. They're both coughing loudly and Clove is gagging. Cato is well on his way to vomiting.

I might be able to take them both out, kick them over the edge, but one might grab me and bring them down with me. So I just stand up in anticipation.

The mutts are jumping on the horn, trying to reach us. One makes it up near Cato – it's Thresh, no doubt, with that blonde fur – and he stabs it with his sword. I wonder when they realize that the mutts are replicas of the Tributes?

Eventually, Clove regains her stature and starts surveying the mutts. She shrieks in horror. "Cato!" she slaps Cato on the side, which nearly makes him fall off. "It's them! It's the other Tributes! Rue, Thresh, Glimmer, Marvel, Lover Boy, Fire Girl! It's them!"

"I noticed…" he chokes out. He sits down next to her. Then they both notice me and stand up.

"Well, this is it you guys." I say. "The finale of the 74th Hunger Games."

"So I see…" Clove loads the bow and points it at me.

"Then who will win?" Cato raises his spear.

They both throw at the same time, and I duck just in time. Cato charges at me but I do a sweep kick and throw him off his feet. He tumbles over the edge and the mutts are upon him.

"CATO!" Clove shrieks. She's watching over the edge as she tears up her boyfriend. "NO! STOP IT!"

She takes her remaining arrows and fires at some mutts, but she end up running out. She throws all her knifes, Cato's sword that he dropped, the bow, the quiver, and all kinds of stuff. She ends up throwing all the contents of her pack and the pack itself, but nothing is keeping the mutts from tearing up Cato.

Cato had a knife or something hidden in his clothing, because I can see a few mutts are falling back with blood on them. But, even with all his strength and power, Cato can't fend them off.

"No! Cato!" Clove has tears in her eyes. "Please! Stop! Don't kill him! He's all I have left! Please don't! Stop!" Her tears are practically flowing down her face. Cato is still alive, but the real torture must be for Clove when she hears Cato moaning, begging, and then whimpering as the mutts work away at him.

"No… Please…" She sniffles. "Don't kill him. Please, just let him live…" What she does next surprises even me.

She stands up and jumps into the mutts.

* * *

I lay on my stomach and watch over the edge as the mutts tear up District 2. How awful that must feel, to be torn apart from your love and then torn apart with your love.

If only I could know that.

I can tell it's going to be cold when the sun sets because the horn begins to cool off. I was smart enough to bring – and keep – my pack, so I have all my supplies. I pull out my roll-up blanket and drape it over me. I eat a piece of squirrel and drink a little water. I can only wonder how long the Gamemakers will let this last.

Oh well, I can live.

I curl up, listening to the sound of boy and girl and mutt. The anthem plays in the sky, showing Peeta's death. Huh. No wonder he never showed up. I must have missed the cannon when I fought the beaver for this squirrel.

The sky goes dark and the only thing I can hear is the howling and the whimpering. Time to settle down and get some sleep…

* * *

The first thing I note is that things have quieted down. The sounds of the mutts have disappeared. I don't hear Cato or Clove whimpering in pain. I peer over the edge. I see what's left of Cato and Clove right at the mouth. The mutts are sitting in a perfect choir line, watching me expectantly. Are they waiting for me to kill them? Or are they waiting to kill me?

When I drop down, they don't move, just continue to watch me. I walk over to the remains of my enemies. How will I kill them? I don't have any lethal weapons, but then I remember the weapons that Clove threw.

However, when I begin to round the horn, I hear growling. I step back to the front and it stops.

I see. They don't want me to cheat. They want me to kill them on my own, to show my smarts.

I think. Nothing in my pack can help me. I don't have any weapons with me. The only thing nearly destructive is… my ankle weights.

The two heavy rocks I tied around my ankles to help me run faster when I take them off. I reach down and roll up my pant legs. I untie the heavy rocks and hold on in my hand. Maybe I can hit them in the head like Thresh. Or place it on their throat and stomp on it? Whatever I'm gonna do, I better do it fast. The mutts might grow impatient if I delay and they'll attack me.

I take the stone and go next to Cato. "I wish this didn't happen to you, Cato…" I whisper.

"It's okay… I… Just finish me…"

I take the stone and slam it on his forehead. I hear him yelp, but, it's not deep enough to be deadly. I hit him a few more times before I give up. It won't work.

I can tell the mutts are getting impatient. A few rise to their feet. I decide I have only one thing left to do.

I take the other stone and place one on each of their throats. I stand in between them. "Please, don't mourn…" Clove tells me. "We… want this…"

"Yeah…" Cato adds. I nod. I jump and slam my feet down on the stones. They cough up blood and I hear two snaps. Then the cannon fires twice. A hole opens in the plain and the mutts rush into it, and then they're gone.

I have to go so they can retrieve the bodies.

But… I just can't leave Clove and Cato like this. They were people with real feelings. They loved each other. They died together. I have to do something.

I walk over to them. I take what's left of their mottled hands and join them together, placing their disfigured fingers around the curves of their broken knuckles, pressing their destroyed wrists together. I take a flower from my bag and put it behind Cloves dismantled ear. Then, I zip up my pack, sling it over my shoulders, and walk off.

I stop when I hear the scream of a mocking jay and then, I turn to see the hovercraft retrieve District 2. Then, once it's gone, I hear the trumpets and the announcement.

"Congratulations! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the winner of the 74th Hunger Games, the Female Tribute from District 5 – Cleo Foxx!"

As the ladder drops down and I am lifted into the air, somehow, I know that I haven't really won.


End file.
